http://www.americansafetyzone.com/home-safety/hurricane-safety.html Hurricane safety tips are paramount in keeping your home and family safe during a hurricane. Learn about hurricane safety here. en-us Tue, 23 May 2006 07:38:17 EDT Tue, 23 May 2006 07:38:17 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 Forecasters predicted that 2005 would be a very active hurricane season, and they weren't kidding! We've now exhausted the alphabet of hurricane names, and with a few weeks left in hurricane season, we're turning to the Greek alphabet for names. Between the 2004 hurricanes and the 2005 hurricanes, it has become painfully clear that we were unprepared. Knowing the rules of hurricane safety is more important than ever. Knowing hurricane safety tips and making plans helps American Safety Zone's satellite reporter Harry Cane moved to Florida in August 2004, just as Hurricane Charlie was destroying parts of Florida's Gulf Coast. He managed to escape Charlie's wrath, but for the next hurricane, Harry evacuated to his parents' house in an area of Florida where the hurricane was not expected to hit. He remembered reading some hurricane safetytips in the newspaper after Hurricane Charlie and thought it would be a good idea to learn what to do in case a hurricane headed his way. He lived in an apartment, so hurricane shutters weren't an option. He had hoped the apartment complex would at least put plywood up because all the local lumberyards and hardware stores were out, but when it didn't look as though that would happen, he formulated a plan: First, he took everything off the walls and put it in the closets. He put breakables in the bathtubs and covered them with layers of towels, blankets and pillows. Next, he filled his coolers with perishable items from his refrigerator and freezer. He remembered to buy ice, too, so he could fill the coolers. That would get him through the 3-hour drive to his parents house where he hoped to share some of what he had. Before he knew if he was going to evacuate or not, he filled his car with gas and got cash from the ATM. He read that if the power went out, he might not be able to get gas or cash right away, and a lot of stores might only accept cash if the phone lines are damaged from the hurricane. From Charlie through the rest of the 2004 hurricane season, and through most of the 2005 hurricane season, Harry was unaffected by the hurricanes. He didn't get any damage, which he was happy about. And for each hurricane that came and went without incident, the less he followed the hurricane safety tips he had learned. In March 2005, he moved out of his apartment and into a townhouse. The townhouse came with hurricane shutters, so he had a measure of home safety this time, which really put his mind at ease. The first hurricane of the 2005 season that looked like it could effect his area was Hurricane Katrina. It was only projected to be a Category 1, so he didn't put up his shutters. It turned out to be nothing more than something like a strong thunderstorm, and there was no damage. Of course later, Katrina turned into a Category 5 and struck Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. It nearly destroyed the city of New Orleans. Many of these residents had weathered hurricanes past and did not heed hurricane safety--the most important of which was to heed the evacuation warnings. The lesson in hurricane safety continues The next one that threatened Harry's area was Hurricane Wilma. The forecasters really had a hard time with the track of Wilma, as well as the severity. Sometimes hurricanes are difficult to track in this way. At one point, when they thought it would be a strong Category 1 or a weak Category 2, Harry decided not to put up his shutters. Then the forecasters started saying it might be a stronger Category 2, so he put up his shutters. He neglected to get gas though since he only had a half tank. He also didn't stock up on ice or water, and he didn't get any cash from the ATM. Harry lost power almost immediately after the hurricane, but he was fine. The worst thing that happened was that Harry's wife's car got scratched by a roof tile that came off. Fortunately, his wife practiced at least some of the rules ofhurricane safety, so they had cash. Each of them only had a half tank of gas though, so when they had no water and no power, they also didn't have enough gas to get to his parents' house. They lived by candlelight and flashlights at night, and every day they were able to find ice. They also found a store selling drinkable water. Fortunately, they planned for these events with their hurricane safety measures. They suffered through two days with no power or water before they got water back, but without power, there was no hot water. Fortunately, their gym got power back before too long, so they worked out and took hot showers there. After five days, they got power again. This hurricane taught Harry and his wife some lessons about weather safety. Before a hurricane, you should: Stock up on ice and water Make sure the grill works Get gas and cash ahead of time Keep plenty of non-perishable food on hand Make sure the flashlights all have batteries, and keep extra batteries on hand Make sure you have a way to light the grill and candles Harry Cane and his wife were lucky this time. But next time, they'll do a better job. Tue, 23 May 2006 07:38:17 EDT http://www.americansafetyzone.com/home-safety/2005-hurricanes.html The 2005 hurricanes seemed to take everyone by surprise. The 2005 hurricanes also taught us all about what we need to do to be ready for the next hurricane. en-us Fri, 04 Nov 2005 14:08:53 EST Fri, 04 Nov 2005 14:08:53 EST Weblog Editor 2.0